Tapping Weekend

March 17th through 19th, 2006

Lake Lucerne
The sky was a brilliant blue (about 450 nm) and the air was cold (about 5°F) when sunlight first touched the northwoods on Saturday.
Lake Lucerne
There is still a bit of snow about. I believe that the lake area has had better than average snow this season. Watch for the lake level to rise after ice-out in a few weeks.
Lake Lucerne
The ice on the lake is getting thick. Only 14.5 inches to go and we'll have a yard.
Lake Lucerne
The forts from the 2006 bottle rocket war are now 2 months old. They won't make 3.
Lake Lucerne
The pounding of the March sun has collapsed the dome of the igloo. There is still a small air space by the entrance but nobody went inside.
Lake Lucerne
Sap ran freely from tapped trees in the sun. Those in the shadows were highly inactive. In the end, there was not enough sap to run the cooker.
Lake Lucerne
A reflector site test for the webcam on Saturday night was pretty much a bust. On a more positive note, the "auto patrol" feature was activated Sunday morning. I feel the downloaded pictures are now more interesting. Watch for the short time-lapse movies of ice-out I'll make in April.
Lake Lucerne
After a brief round of lake golf, it was time to leave.
Lake Lucerne
The sun was de-icing the roads all weekend. By the time we left on Sunday, the surface was visible in some patches.
Lake Lucerne
The burned house on the corner of Hwy 8 and East Shore Drive was removed a while ago. It's absence makes this corner of the lake seem different.
Lake Lucerne
The ice is thick but spring is here. It won't be long now until the second swimmers of the year run shivering from the crystal clear lake and the trillium start popping up everywhere. We'll be back on Easter weekend.


-Nemo